Medieval London

Timeline

1. c. 600–1066London · LondonIn the Anglo-Saxon period London revived on the ruins of Roman Londinium; during Alfred the Great's reign the walls were reinforced and Wessex kings established palaces here; the city had dual centers at Westminster and the walled city (Civitas), and Thames crossings promoted trade, laying the foundation for Norman-era urban expansion.
2. 1066–1100Tower of London · LondonAround 1078 William I ordered construction of the White Tower of the Tower of London, a stone keep symbolizing Norman royal power; at the same time St Paul's Cathedral began Norman-style reconstruction, city administrative institutions (such as the sheriff's office) gradually became Normanized, and a Jewish merchant community appeared in London by the late 11th century as the city's commercial network expanded.
3. 1111–1120London · LondonBetween 1111 and 1120 London was already the kingdom's largest city, with a population of about 15,000–20,000; scarce land within the walls spurred vertical expansion; Thames docks were busy with thriving trade in wine, wool, and cloth; the royal court often resided in Winchester but the Exchequer's activities in London grew increasingly frequent, and a city charter of self-government was in preparation. The 1120 White Ship disaster, though occurring in Normandy, profoundly affected Henry I's succession and heightened London's political sensitivity.
4. 1131–1300London · LondonIn 1131 Henry I granted London a prototype charter of self-government, and the office of mayor gradually took shape; in the 12th–13th centuries guilds controlled the quality of crafts and trade, suburbs outside the walls expanded along main roads, and medieval London's tradition of urban self-government and commercial guilds was thus founded and continued for centuries.